State At A Glance

June 28, 2007

BERLIN -- An 18-year-old cleaning company employee was arrested and charged with taking a client's van on a joyride last winter, wrecking it and then lying to police. Mariusz Nadolny, of New Britain, told police that the van, which was found crashed into a nearby building, was stolen from him at gunpoint on Feb. 11 by two ``dark-skinned males.'' He was charged this week with several offenses and faces a court date July 17.

ENFIELD -- On the advice of district administrators, the board of education has decided against participating in a state program that requires all beverages or foods sold in the schools to meet nutritional standards. Although the state offers participating districts a 10-percent meal reimbursement, that would not be sufficient financial inducement to join, Superintendent of Schools John Gallacher said. The board agreed, voting unanimously not to participate.

FARMINGTON -- The board of education announced it was extending the contract of schools Superintendent Robert Villanova through 2010. Villanova's salary will be increased 4 percent for the next school year, to $170,102, with increases to his annuity and life insurance. Villanova has been district superintendent for 13 years.

MIDDLETOWN -- An unnamed developer has apparently won a bidding contest with Middlesex Hospital for rights to the Middletown Press building, at Main and Union streets. The sale price of $4 million exceeded the $2.99 million asking price. The new owner has talked of using the property for condos, retail and office space.

SUFFIELD -- The state Department of Labor is investigating three complaints for unpaid wages filed against a contractor the town hired to make renovations at Spaulding School. The employees claimed that New England Environmental never paid them for asbestos removal work. Labor investigators were unable to locate any company payroll information when they visited town hall earlier this month.

WEST HARTFORD -- Police arrested four teenagers Wednesday who investigators believe were involved in a weeklong string of car thefts and vehicle break-ins. All four of the youths, whose names were withheld because of their ages, are Hartford residents, Police Chief James Strillacci said. The arrests came early Wednesday after a homeowner spotted a group of suspicious people running near his property at 2 a.m.